Door construction



Sept. 2, 1930. H. J. FERRIS 90$! CONSTRUCTION 2 Shutmeat 1 I'ilud Aug.16, 1928 Even-Z07? P 2, 1930 H. J. FERRIS 1,774,877

DOOR CONSTRUCTION med Aug. 16, 1928 2 smwsnm 2 N Q R N Q a m PatentedSept. 1930 UNITED STA ES PATENT OFFICE nowmn J. reams, or HARVARD,rumors, iassrenoa 'ro Hour, nun; rmrs'a COMPANY, 01! HARVARD, ILLINOIS,A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS neon consrnuorron Application filed August 16,1928. Serial Ito- 289,994.

My invention relates to building structures presenting relatively widedoor-openings such as, and more particularly, aeroplane hangars, thedoor-openings in which are very 5 wide and high, and wherein it isdesired that the doors be shifted into and out of closing position.

' The common practice in structures of this kind is to provide thedoor-opening within the confines of relatively wide door-jambsprojecting inwardly from the front ends of the side walls of thebuilding and to provide sectional doors which hang from tracks at thetop of the door-openings and are shiftable from a position in which theyclose the dooropenings into a position in which they extend along theinside of the side-walls of the building, and vice versa.

The provision of the door-jambs presents a number of disadvantages, someof which are the added expense of constructing the building because ofsuch jambs and the reduction in the capacity of the building due to therestricted door-opening resulting therefrom.

My primary object is to' provide a structure wherein the doors aremovable from closed position into a position alongside of the side-wallsof the building, and vice versa,

without requiring the use of doorjambs with the manifest advantages. v iI Referring to the accompanying draw- 1ngs:

Figure 1 is a plan sectional view, somewhat diagrammatic,-of the frontend of an aeroplane-hangar constructed in accordance with my invention,the section being taken immediately above the door, one-half only ofwhich is shown, and the roof-outlinebe- 40 ing shown by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view taken at the line 2-2 on Fig. 1 and viewedin the direction of the arrows, this view being an inside face view of aportion of the front ofthe building at the door-opening and one of thesimilar sets of door-sections employed.

Figure 3 is a plan sectional view of one of the front corners of thehangar, showing a portion of the door in closed position and' the trackalong which the door operates, the

section being taken at the line 3 on Fig. 4

and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and

Figure 4, an enlarged section taken at the line 4 on Fig. 3 and viewedin the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the particular illustrated embodiment of my invention, thefront portions of the side-walls of an aeroplane-hangar are representedat 5, and the upper front wall of the hangar, which defines the upperboundary of the door-opening 6, is represented at 7, the extreme frontedge-portions of the sidewalls 5 being preferably provided at theirinner surfaces with relatively thin batten strips 8. Y

The door for the structure shown is formed of a plurality of edgewiseopposing sections 9, there being twelve of these sections in thisparticular structure. The sections 9 are grouped into sets of threeeach, the sections of each group being hinged togetheras represented at10 to permit the sections to swing inwardly relative to each other.

The door-sections 9 are supported on a.

track-structure to permit them to be moved from the position shown ofthe six sections at the left-hand side of Fig. 1 and as shown in Fig. 3wherein the door-opening is closed, intoa position in which sixof thesections extend alongside of the front portions of one of the side-walls5, and the other alongside the other side wall as shown of thesix-sections at the right-hand side of Fig. 1 in whilch position thedoor-opening is uncov ere -The track-structure shown comp-rises a asrepresented at 13 of one end of the track in Fig. 3. The track structurealso comprises tracks located at the inner sides of the side-walls 5 andclosely adj acent thereto and parallel therewith which extend from thefront wall 7 distances rearwardly thereof each greater two side-tracks,as shown at 16 of the track.

illustrated in Fig. 3, these switch track-sections being ivoted to theside-tracks 14 at therearen s of the aps therein, asillustrated at 17 ofthe trac in Fig. 3, and adapted to be swung into alinement, at theirfree ends, with either the rear ends of the tracks 14 at the front endsof the gaps 16 as shown by full lines of the track in Fig. 3, or withthe rear ends of the curved ortions 12 of firack 11, as shown by dottelines in this re.

n he tracks and switches are each of the type comprising a pair ofspaced apart angleirons 18 and 19 connecte together in any suitable way,with spacers 20 interposed between their vertical flanges, thehorizontal flanges of the angle-irons forming ways at which twin-wheeledhangers 21 swiveled at 22 to the door sections 9 and by which thedoor-sections 9 hang, are supported for movement along the tracks, theangle-irons of the stationary tracks being secured in position bylag-bolts 23 mounted to depend from timbers 24 secured to the buildingstructure in a lane above the door-opening.

Tlib switch track sections 16 are supported in any desirable way fromthe structure above them and in practice means (not shown) positioned tobe readily actuated by the operator, would preferably be provided, forshifting the switches alternately to the positions above referred to.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that, assuming the dooris in closed position, in which the end ones of the hangers 21 extend atthe extreme forward ends of the tracks 14 and the intermediatehangersengage the straight portion of the track 11, and it is desiredthat the door be 0 ened, the operator pushes the extreme end ones of thesections 9 toward the back of the buildin the end han ers 21, in thisoperation traveling rearwardly along the track 14 and drawing the twosections 9 connected with each thereof alon the track 11 towardtherespective side-wafis 5, the hangers on these other door sectionstraveling along the curved portions 12 of track 11. After the endhangers have passed the switches 16 the operator throws these switchesinto alinement with the ends of the curved portions 12 of track 11 andall of these hangers of these two end groups of door-sections to extendalong the portions of the tracks 14 to the rear of the gaps 15. Theremaining two groups of door-sections may then be moved along the track11 in opposite directions onto the tracks 14, respectively, at oppositesides of the building. If desired the switches may then be returned to aposition in which the span the gaps 15 and the two groups ofoer-sections at each side of the building moved forwardly along thetracks 14 to points closely adjacent the front of the building.

To close the door, the door-sections, if positioned as just stated, arepushed backwardly to pass wholly rearwardly beyond the switches 16, theswitches then swung into alinement with the curved portions 12 of thetracks 11 and the door-sections moved, toward the center of thedoor-opening, along the tracks 11. When all but the last door hangers ofthe two end groups of door sections have passed the switches 16 theswitches are swung back to fill the gaps 15 and these last hangers arethen pushed forwardlyalong the front ends of tracks 14 to the positionshown of the one hanger at the extreme lefthand side of Fig. 3.

From the foregoing it will be noted that by constructing a building inaccordance with my invention the requirement for relatively widedoor-jambs presenting the objections hereinbefore noted is avoided,while permitting of the withdrawal of the door sections to a position inthe building wherein they are out of the way, thereby permittingpractically the full capacity of the building to be utilized.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of myinvention, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit itthereto as the same may be variously modified and altered withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a building structure containing a door-opening, adoor therefor comprising a horizontal series of doorsections end ones ofwhich are hingedly connected together, and tracks for guiding saidsections into closed position and into a position in which they extendsubstantially parallel with, and alongside of, the side-wall portion ofthe building, one of said tracks extending substantially parallel with,and alongside of, said side wall to a point closely adjacent saiddoor-opening, with a gap in said track, and another of said tracksextending along said door-opening with the end thereof adjacent saidfirst-referred-to track extending in a rearward direction, and a switchmovable into a position spanning said gap and into a position in whichit connects said second-referred-to track with said side-track, said enddoor-section engaging said first-referred-to track in the closedpositionof the door wherebyin the guiding of the door sections to open positionthe swltch must be thrown while said end door-section engages both ofsaid tracks.

2. In combination with a building structure containing a door-opening, adoor there ,for comprising a horizontal serles of doorsections end onesof which are hingedly connected together, substantially alined front andrear track sections extending along a side wall portion of the buildingand spaced apart at their adjacent ends, said front track sectionextending closely adjacent said door opening, a third track sectionextending along said door opening. and extending rearwardly toward saidfirst-named track sec-' tions and spaced therefrom at its adjacent end,a switch track adapted to span the space 7 between said first-named trck sections or the space between said rear tr ck'section and said thirdtrack section, and means on said door sections engaging said tracks.

3. In combination. with a building structure containing a door opening,a door therefor comprising a plurality of horizontal series of doorsections end ones of each of said series being hingedly connectedtogether, substantially alined front and rear track sections extendingalong each of opposite side wall portions of the building, said frontand rear track sections being spaced apart at their adjacent ends andsaid front sections extending closely adjacent said door opening a thirdtrack section extending along said door opening and at its endsrearwardly toa ward the front and rear track sections at secondsupporting means being mounted on the respective sides of the building,said third track section being spaced from said front and rear tracksections at its rearwardly extending ends, switch tracks adapted to spanfirst and second supporting means traveling on the second mentionedtrack to dis ose a portion of the door forwardly of sea ]11D.C- tion.

' 5. In combination with a building structure having a door opening, asingle line track adjacent the door opening extendin partly lengthwisewith respect thereto an 7 then laterally and rearwardly, a single linetrack extending rearwardly from the opening, the rear end of the firstmentioned track tracks enabling the. first supporting means I to bemoved from the first mentioned track to the second mentioned trackthrough movement of the door and the door to then be moved with thefirst and second supporting means traveling on the second mentionedtrack to dispose a portion of the door forwardly of said junction.

- HOWARD J. FERRIS.

the spaces between the front and rear track I sections or the spacesbetween said rear track sections and said third track section, and

means on said door sections engaging said tracks. p 4. In combinatiofwith a building structure having -a door opening, a single linetrack'adjacent the door opening extendin partly lengthwise with respectthereto an then laterally and rearwardly, a single line track extendingrearwardly from. the openmg, the rear end of'the first mentioned trackterminating intermediate the ends of the second mentioned track, a door,first and second supporting means for the door, said first and the firstand second tracks respectively, in e the closed position of the door,and means at the junction of the tracks enabling the first supportingmeansto be moved from the first mentioned-track to the secondmentioned.track through movement of the door and the door to then belmoved'withthe on p

